Effects of glucagon on superior mesenteric artery and femoral artery haemodynamics in humans.
OBJECTIVE
It remains unclear whether glucagon is a localized splanchnic arterial vasodilator in humans. This study examined this issue by assessing the haemodynamic effect of exogenous glucagon on splanchnic and extrasplanchnic arteries.


METHODS
After an overnight fast, flow velocity of superior mesenteric artery and femoral artery was recorded by means of echo-Doppler in 10 controls and 10 patients with cirrhosis. Mean arterial pressure, heart rate and plasma glucagon level were also determined. These measurements were repeated after intramuscular injection of glucagon (1 mg) at 15 min and 30 min.


RESULTS
Patients with cirrhosis had much higher glucagon levels than controls (P < 0.01). Plasma glucagon level rose following glucagon administration in controls (P < 0.01) and patients with cirrhosis (P < 0.01). Glucagon administration had no effect on mean arterial pressure, heart rate and femoral artery velocity in controls and patients with cirrhosis. In contrast, superior mesenteric artery velocity significantly increased after glucagon administration in both groups (P < 0.01, P < 0.01), although the effect was less pronounced in patients with cirrhosis than in controls (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that glucagon might be a localized splanchnic arterial vasodilator. Thus, glucagon may be one of the factors contributing to the pathogenesis of the splanchnic hyperdynamic circulation seen in patients with cirrhosis.
Nakahara
K
K
Department of Medicine II, Kurume University School of Medicine, Japan.
Iwao
T
T
Toyonaga
A
A
Miyazaki
S
S
Tanikawa
K
K
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005934:Glucagon / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D017538:Mesenteric Artery, Superior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged
D005934:Glucagon